Power up

Karen Humphreys threw herself into fitness as she grieved the loss of her son, never imagining she’d one day set a world record by squatting almost double her body weight.

words DEBBIE GRIFFITHS | photos KATIE COX

Did you just say you picked up a washing machine?”

“A front loader, yeah,” laughs the 159cm-tall grandmother, suddenly realising how far from normal that sounds.

She explains that you can ‘flick it onto your legs’ to carry it up steps. Same with a small chest freezer; although when helping a friend move house recently, her coach Mike Jones had already called to insist that she refrain from lifting whiteware. It was, after all, the lead up to defending her world powerlifting title.

“At the last worlds, three lifters were injured in the week before,” she laughs. “As we get older, we’re just not as robust as we used to be.”

It’s the only concession to her 61 years that she’ll make.

“I see other people doing what I’m doing and the fact that they’re 40 years younger doesn’t mean anything to me,” she says. “At my daughter’s wedding in Fiji, I wore a dress with shoestring straps. Some young guys wanted to know ‘how’d you get traps like that?’. That felt good.”

Fighting spirit Karen grew up in ‘middle of nowhere’ Kaihere, aiming for a career as an architect. Back then, technical drawing was only for boys.

“My parents had to go in fighting for me. The school eventually said yes, and I thought ‘right, I want to show these guys’, so each year, I was top of the class.”

Years later, she fought for her own teenager when he fell ill. After three weeks of night sweats and debilitating aching limbs, came the nightmare diagnosis.

“I didn’t even know what leukemia was,” she admits. “Jono looked it up on his computer and said, ‘Mum, I have cancer’. I was dumbfounded.”

Seventeen-year-olds are usually treated at Starship but, because Jono had left home and was working, he was treated as an adult so Karen was told she couldn’t stay with him. Her tenacity kicked in.

“I stood my ground and wouldn’t leave. I think I got guts and determination from my parents.”

In August 2013, Jono lost his battle with cancer. Channelling the grief By the age of 50, she’d taken up boxing, but after being deemed too old to compete, Karen switched to powerlifting, entering her first competition just six months later.

“I started like anyone else; lifting tiny weights around a tenth of what I lift now,” she says.

Since then, she’s won multiple national titles, the Commonwealth Championships in 2022 and last year, the World Champs in Mongolia. In October, she attempted to defend her title at the IPF World Masters Powerlifting Champs and the Commonwealth Powerlifting Champs in South Africa. Karen’s deadlifting weight was five kilos off the 155kg to secure the overall win but her best squat of 120.5kg set a new world record.

Ruthless Barbell Club owner Mike Jones says it’s rare to meet someone as dedicated. “To push our top competitor, a highly accomplished athlete, to their limit made for an exciting and rewarding day on the platform.” Strong focus “I close my eyes, blank everyone out and go through all the motions in my mind; going to the bar, doing the lift, racking it up – and then I go and do it. Visualisation is so powerful.”

Karen’s target weights are already scrawled on sticky notes in her car and on her work desk for future international competitions. She’s even eyeing up the next age category that she’ll move into when she’s 69.

“There’s a new set of records to break,” she smiles.

Athlete’s paradise

Pro triathlete Hannah Berry has had a whirlwind year on the world stage. She’s back in the Bay for summer, and loving the lifestyle of her home base.

Words Scott Yeoman | Photos Scott Yeoman + supplied

You can be a full-time professional athlete training and competing on the world stage – jetting off to Australia, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, France, Mexico and Hawaii in the space of six months – and still call this place home.

You can chase your sporting dreams and still spend hot summer afternoons on your favourite Mount Maunganui beach. Swim laps at your local pool, go for picturesque runs around Mauao, and work out in a high-performance gym alongside familiar – and famous – faces.

You can recover from an injury and smash your training goals, and still celebrate at the end of the week by having a glass of wine with your husband at home.

Hannah Berry is proof of all that. She is proof that Mount Maunganui is an athlete’s paradise.

The 33-year-old pro triathlete has had a whirlwind year; from a podium finish at the Ironman Taupō event in March, to a season-stopping stress reaction injury in her femur, to bouncing back and winning gold in Mexico in September, and then a personal best at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October.

Hannah's home for the summer and has a lot of training ahead of her; the 2024 Ironman Pro Series is firmly in her sights.

So, what does a normal day in the Mount look like for a professional triathlete who wants to be able to swim 3.8km, cycle 180km, and run 42.2km in less than eight hours, 53 minutes, and 45 seconds? Hannah starts her day by swimming laps at Baywave (about five or six kilometres worth). She does that five days a week, starting at 5.50am. She might then head home and do three or four hours on the indoor trainer bike in her garage. She also runs three times a week; her favourite route takes her around Mauao.

Then there’s strength and conditioning and gym work at the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance. Hannah trains there at least a couple of times a week. This state-of-the-art facility is situated on the outskirts of Blake Park and has become a one-stop shop for individual athletes and teams preparing for competition at the highest level. The Netherlands women’s football team trained at the Adams Centre during the FIFA World Cup earlier this year, and other recent visitors include the All Blacks, Wallabies, New Zealand Warriors, and the English cricket team.

The centre is also home to both New Zealand rugby sevens teams, the
Bay of Plenty Steamers and Bay of Plenty Volcanix, as well as North Island-based Black Caps, the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, and the Adams Academy – a development programme with around 100 aspiring and established athletes across 27 sporting codes and counting.

Hannah has been a member of the Adams Academy since its inception and recently won Athlete of the Year at its annual awards. “Being surrounded by other high performance athletes is quite unique,” she says. “And it's really cool to see other athletes here training – there’s motivation everywhere.”

The Adams Centre has a team of strength and conditioning coaches onsite, a dietitian and sports psychologist, and a sports science laboratory with a full array of testing equipment, including an environmental chamber (one of only two in the country) which helps athletes like Hannah prepare for international competitions in varying climates and altitudes.

Hannah will be back competing in Ironman pro events all over the world next year. It’s a remarkable achievement, considering she only started long-distance endurance triathlons about 10 years ago. In fact, that’s when she started competing in any kind of triathlon for the first time.

Hannah believes her late entry into the competitive world of triathlon might actually be an advantage. A lot of the top triathletes have been pouring hours into this individual pursuit since they were teenagers, or even younger. Hannah only played team sports like netball, volleyball, and hockey while growing up in Te Puke. Then she went off to university and studied her way towards a PhD in biotech engineering. She is now Dr Hannah Berry. She only decided to pause that career and chase her triathlon dreams full-time in 2019. 

Her 11th-place finish at the iconic World Championship event in Kona in October was her fourth full-length Ironman. She’s just getting started. “It's a very demanding, time-consuming sport, so I think the fact that I picked it up later in life is quite good,” Hannah says. “I haven't just been this sort of one-dimensional person my entire life and that means, at the moment, it still feels really fresh and exciting. And I'm seeing improvements all the time. So that I think is good and it keeps me going.”

It keeps her swimming, cycling and running, chasing her sporting dreams all over the globe, 226km at a time, with Mount Maunganui as her home base. 

uowadamshpc.co.nz

Team spirit

Twisting, tumbling, flipping, flying…Competitive cheerleading has a
strong foothold in the Bay of Plenty.

Words Hayley Barnett 
Photos Quinn O’Connell

Cheerleading has always been known as an all-American cultural activity of sorts. A way to provide overly enthusiastic encouragement to sports teams and “cheer” them on to victory. But in recent years, the way we view cheerleading has completely changed, thanks in part to the highly-acclaimed doco-series Cheer on Netflix. Watching the agile young athletes twist and turn, we were all reeducated on what it means to make it as a true professional cheerleader.

Cheer, which premiered in 2020, offers a glimpse into the cutthroat world of pro college cheerleading and the sheer hard work and athleticism required to make it to the top. What you might not know is that, for the past 10 years, the Bay has been training its own cheer talent in the form of Bay Twisters Cheersport.

Offering competitive and non-competitive cheerleading from the age of four and up, the local club, based in Judea, Tauranga, has more than 140 students. Rebecca Grigson, alongside cheer champion daughter Anna, trains their students to compete both here and on the world stage.

“Anna started doing cheer in Auckland from a young age,” explains Rebecca. “Then we moved here to the Bay and there was nothing. I was worried she’d miss out on cheerleading, so one day I just said, ‘How about we try doing something on our own?’ It was crazy, but it worked!”

Today 22-year-old Anna, who has been doing cheer for 15 years, is on three cheer teams – two representing New Zealand and one being the
Top Gun All Stars team in the United States.

CELEB POWER

When Rebecca got in touch with US cheer team Action Cheer, the opportunity arose for Cheer Season Two star Jeron Hazelwood to fly in from Texas to train the young students of Bay Twisters. He was tasked with choreographing a competitive routine for 99 girls at Tui Ridge in Rotorua earlier this year.

Asked how our Kiwi cheer world differs from the all-American version, Jeron answers it’s not that much different.

“There are a lot of different rules and regulations around safety and that kind of thing, but all in all it’s not that much different,” says Jeron. “It would be good to see some more boys involved, but we have that problem in the States too!”

Jeron says the key aspects he loves about the sport aren’t just physical.

“Although I love being the show pony as much as anyone else, the best thing about cheer is that it teaches you not only physical strength but mental strength as well.

“Over in America, we don’t really care for crybabies,” he laughs. “It can be a bit of an eye-opener for some people.”

Rebecca insists Bay Twisters is not quite working to the same extremes as Cheer in terms of pushing the envelope.

“We haven’t had any serious injuries!”  

Cheerleading has finally been recognised as an Olympic sport globally, but Rebecca says, in New Zealand, it still has a long way to go when it comes to recognising cheer for what it really is.

“To be officially recognised as a sport at the Olympics, after so many years, that was an amazing feeling,” she says. “People still think it's all about pom poms and short skirts at rugby games, and it does my head in. When people say it’s not a real sport, I say I'd like to see them go out on the floor for two-and-a-half minutes and do the routine that these kids do. We're slowly getting there, though.”  

baytwisters.co.nz

The Collective Training

Owners and couple Ariana Grant and Kaz Adams give us the lowdown on one of the Mount’s newest fitness hubs.

Who is this type of fitness best suited to?
We cater to people wanting to not only improve their current fitness, but also create a lifestyle which will provide longevity in movement and mobility. We take an individual approach with each group we train and provide regressions and progressions to all levels of fitness. The class sizes are limited to allow for this intimate type of training.

Tell us about the benefits.
Our method of training is effective and is designed in a way that individuals don't get bored. Our basic training model allows you to improve your overall strength and fitness while also improving your mobility. 

Why do people come to you?
Initially people come to us with the intention of losing weight or building strength, but those who stay love the community and buy into the overall plan which is constant improvement - not just physically, but mentally as well. Our members are able to build a lifestyle based on the same values we follow: Consistency, honesty, integrity and culture.

What is your top fitness tip?
Never be afraid to try something new or something that seems too hard. You will be surprised at what you are truly capable of, but you will never know what that is if you do not try.

What do people say about you?
“Since joining The Collective Training (TCT) I have lost 20kg in five months. I have joined other gyms but never had good results like I am getting at The Collective. My strength and fitness has improved so much.” 

thecollectivetraining.co.nz

Float Fitness

Float’s owner and fitness fanatic Louise Kirkham loves introducing a new form of exercise to newbies. 

Who is this type of fitness best suited to?
Float Fitness is for anyone looking for a body, mind and soul workout. Whether it’s been five minutes or five years since you last moved your body, there’s a place for you at Float.

What kind of classes do you run?
Our main technique that we offer is AntiGravity Fitness (AGF), an aerial fitness and yoga class in a hammock. AGF is a fusion of pilates, yoga and aerial arts. Some of our classes are restorative with breath work, while others get the heart rate up. We teach non-hammock classes too –UBOUND, which is trampolining to an upbeat soundtrack, Power Yoga (on a yoga mat) and we offer frequent one-off workshops and events such as Laughing Yoga, Floating Meditation, breathing workshops and our sell-out Silky Cocoon to name a few.

What is Float?
In addition to being a fitness studio, we are a community-focused collective of like-minded people coming together to share our journey of health and wellness. We have a retail space offering mindful living products for the active lifestyle as well as sustainable and local gifts for everyone. 

Tell us about the benefits of Float?
Hanging upside down in a hammock releases a whole cocktail of happy hormones – endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin. If you had a really bad day and just want to let it go, there is nothing better than hanging upside down! We often see people rushing in, dropping their stuff and hanging upside down... They always leave elated.

What sets you apart?
Our vision is to provide a one-stop health hub with a luxury boutique studio environment, offering classes and experiences you won’t find down the road. We truly believe that we can improve your physical and mental wellbeing in just a few days. So much so, that we offer a 30-day money back guarantee. If you're not feeling, moving and looking better after your 30 days, we will give you your money back. We believe that when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Can I do your classes if I haven’t exercised in ages?
Absolutely! We offer beginner classes and suggest taking two of these before progressing to general classes, but there is no limit so we encourage people to take as many of these as makes them comfortable, for those that need more time to settle in. The hammock offers so much support that the usual strength and flexibility required for yoga and pilates is not necessary here.

Are your classes safe for pregnant women?
Pregnant women definitely do attend our classes. We always remind everyone to listen to their own bodies.

What are you most proud of?
We love the space! The studio is really special and unexpected on the Mount main street. We love the surprise people get when walking into our space. Our studio is custom-built, fitted with 100-year-old wharf beams as the main feature. Our beams are often a real talking point. It’s really unique in itself, and then on top of that, we’re offering a really unique form of exercise that a lot of people haven’t tried before. 

floatfitness.co.nz

The Pilates Fix

Tahlia Charleson talks to UNO about the fitness craze that has taken the Bay by storm – and a few others we’re still totally obsessed with.

Tell us about the benefits of matwork pilates, yoga, meditation and reformer pilates.
When it comes to the benefits of our classes, we could create a never-ending list. Through regular sessions you’ll grow in full-body strength, stability, flexibility and core strength, as well as gain better posture and muscle tone. Despite being so varied, there are common benefits across yoga, pilates, meditation, barre and breath work. All of our classes leave you feeling a combination of relaxed but invigorated. That’s because they’re all linked by breath and mindful movement of the body – some more physically challenging (like pilates and barre), some more soothing (like meditation and breathwork). This leaves you with a deeper connection between your mind and body, and muscle activation in all the right places.

What sets you apart?
From the beautiful environment to the classes, every element of The Pilates Fix is inclusive. Whether young, old, injured, strong, beginner, postpartum or experienced in their practice, we cater to all. Every person who walks through our doors experiences that "Ahh, I’m here!" moment of exhale and tension release. Alongside our vast range of classes (more than any other studio in town) we’ve recently begun a new men’s only class that addresses spinal stiffness, rigidity of movement and helps clients to lengthen without losing strength. 

What can people expect when they come to a class?
There is no rushing, no large classes, and clients know that when they walk through the doors they’ll find exactly what they need. Whether that’s reduced pain, increased strength, improved mental health, confidence, growth, love for yourself, or vitality, you’ll soon find our classes have benefits that go beyond movement. It’s a space where you feel connected – to your body, to the environment and to each other. As part of the Pilates Fix family you’re likely to make friends – many people often assume our members have been friends prior to joining but they’ve all met through our classes. One of our clients described The Pilates Fix as “a slice of paradise where there is no judgment.” And that’s exactly what you can expect when you join us for a class.

What are you most proud of?
My team is the backbone of the Fix family. They add so much value to both the business and our client’s experiences, with their continual upskilling and high level of instruction. Not to mention the level of support they give one another and every single client who walks through our doors. And I’m proud of what my husband and I have brought into downtown Tauranga. With the support of our family and friends, we’ve built something pretty special and it’s only the beginning. 

thepilatesfix.co.nz

Fit for purpose

Editor-turned-fitness-aficionado Hayley Barnett talks setbacks, swimwear and sugar… And approaching the silly season with a renewed sense of purpose.

Ihave a confession to make. I didn’t go to the gym for two weeks. (That’s a lie. It was closer to a month.) But it wasn’t entirely my fault. I was sick for a week with a cold – potentially my fault for attacking my immune system with an awful lot of sugar. Then it rained for days.

You’re probably wondering what the weather’s got to do with going to the gym. Well, it dampens my spirit and my will to move outside of my house is then limited.

Looking back on my life, both these excuses seem to be recurring problems. For me, seasonal depression and sugar addiction go hand in hand. In spring the weather gets warmer, but it also rains more than ever, and the
pressure of attaining that “beach body” starts to build. 

Now, I admit I’ve never actually attained the beach body, partly due to the pressure, but also due to Christmas, New Year’s, my birthday and then Easter. Suddenly I’ve gained an extra five kilos on top of the five I vowed to lose in the first place. 

Keeping all this in mind, I recently returned to the gym with a renewed sense of determination. Not only am I dragging myself out of bed every day to be greeted by the friendly staff at Clubfit Baywave, I’m also pushing myself to try new things. In the past week alone I’ve tried a Body Pump class, a spin class and I’ve even purchased a swimsuit – one of those sporty looking ones with the racerback, just like a real athlete! I’m yet to hop in the pool, but I have high hopes. The fact I don’t look like an athlete in my new swimwear sends my anxiety soaring when I think of stepping out. I look like I haven’t been to the gym in a month. Which is true. 

So I’m back to my three sessions a week and I’ve also shelved the sugar – something I’ve struggled to do my
entire life. Remembering that everything boils down to habits and reinforcing that message every day is crucial to success. Which I guess is why Clubfit is committed to drumming that into its clients. My trainer, Kiriwai’s, voice constantly echoes in my head these days – “Consistency really is the key.”  

clubfit.co.nz

Going the distance

It’s mind over body for editor Hayley Barnett as she trains for her first marathon.

Long-distance running has always intrigued me – the psychology of it, and the idea that any approach you take to training is a metaphoric representation of life in general. Yes, that sounds cheesy, but I have no other way of describing it.

The old saying that the mind is more powerful than the body is never more apparent than when you’re 18km into a trail run, drips of sweat and mud (and sometimes tears) running down your face, and you’re convincing yourself that you're about to keel over and die.

It’s incredible how much more energy your body has left in the tank when your mind has long since given up. But you only learn that when you stop listening to it. And, as we all know, that’s the hard part, not only in running but in life. 

Of course, a helping hand to push you along can be extremely advantageous in all areas, but none more so than exercise, especially in the depths of winter. 

Since I signed up at ClubFit Baywave a few months back, I’ve been busy building my strength. When I signed up for a marathon at the same time (somewhat ambitiously), the team put me on to one of their go-to athletic gurus, Diarmuid (Dee) O’Dwyer, who came up with a plan to supplement my running training. Dee is specialist strength and conditioning trainer who also works at the Adams Centre For High Performance. He put together a plan to target the muscles needed to succeed in – read finish – a marathon without injuring myself or being unable to walk for a week. These were my two main goals also, so we were already on the same page. He also drew up an outdoor running plan, to get me up and running (sorry) from my current five kilometres to 21km, with the intention of reviewing the plan once I hit that mark.

Dee’s program was quite the step up from my beginner-level weight training. I worried it might be a bad sign that I was unable to walk for a week after my first gym session on his plan, but he assured me this was completely normal. I was targeting muscles that had probably never been targeted before. Though he did suggest doing a few less reps and taking longer breaks between exercises.

To say that this plan twice a week, together with my running sessions three times per week, set me up for success is an understatement. I recently completed the Shoe Science Tauranga Half Marathon, still alive, far exceeding my expectations. I’m not sure I could have got there in these freezing cold mornings without Dee’s help, or the help of my original ClubFit trainer, Kiriwai.

During my weight training with Kiriwai a few months back, one thing she said stuck with me. She said, “It all comes down to discipline. I know you’re a mum, I know you have a busy job, I know it’s hard to find the time. But too bad. Get on with it.” 

Sounds harsh, but the tough love approach exists for a reason. Sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else. 

Bring on the full marathon in 2023! 

clubfit.co.nz

Mind matters

Do you need to spring clean your head space? Anna Veale explains how visualisation can be a helpful wellbeing tool.

PHOTOS Salina Galvan

As we find ourselves coming out of hibernation from what seems like a very long winter, a sense of new beginnings may be upon you – and for good reason. The mornings are getting lighter and the evenings are drawing out, bringing a new cycle which represents planting new seeds, growth and expansion. 

Spring, “the king of all seasons”, is a fantastic time to check in with yourself and see what sneaky habits have crept in over winter that don’t have your best interests at heart. Perhaps you’ve been hitting the snooze button one too many times, or drinking one too many cups of coffee to warm yourself up.

If you want to build on the energy that can come from our change in seasons, here are some tools to accelerate your journey. 

The power of visualisation

In the sports world, visualisation or “mental rehearsal” is used to help athletes prepare for and enhance their physical game. This technique draws
in direct focus to task, using the senses to dial down on the process of the goal rather than the outcome itself. 

As we move into the new season, we have an opportunity to get clear on what we want for the coming months, and we can use visualisation to bring a goal to life and generate the all-important ingredient for success: Action. 

When we mentally rehearse our goals and the process of reaching them, we are sending a strong message to our unconscious mind that we are ready and will be more likely to take the action required to make change. Science tells us that if we commit our goals to writing we are 40 percent more likely to achieve them. It also tells us that if we tell someone else about our goals we are 60 percent more likely to achieve them and if we have a coach, we are 95 percent more likely to achieve success. 

Your goal-setting toolbox

Adding visualisation to your goal-setting toolbox will help bring your dreams to life. If you are new to visualisation, here are some ideas to get you started:

Create a vision board

This can be fun and simple to do and serves as a daily reminder of your intentions. Use magazines and printouts to create your very own piece of goal-setting art. Be brave and think big. You are only limited by your imagination, so banish limited thinking and get creative. 

Visualisation meditations

There are plenty of good visualisation meditations out there for guided goal-setting visualisation, leaving time at the end to brain dump, set goals and put timelines on them. So now we have our head space covered, how can we give our body a shake-up out of its winter slump and get it bouncing into spring?

Rehydrate

Often water gets replaced for hot drinks over winter, so look to replace caffeinated drinks with water or herbal tea. 

Eat well 

Nourish your body with whole foods like split peas, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, buckwheat and rye. Increase the fibre in your diet with fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, apricots, berries, broccoli, carrots, okra and spinach.

Catch the morning sun

Reset your circadian rhythm by getting up at the same time each day, taking yourself out for a walk around the block and getting some fresh air. 

Be consistent 

Showing up daily for yourself sends the message that your wants and needs are important. Cultivate a routine that's easy, fun and aligns with your values. 

Check out Anna's free resources page, where you will find your very own “spring reset”

freshcoaching.me

Driving excellence

Mount Maunganui’s only driving range brings technology and pro coaching together to make improving your golf game even more enjoyable.

Words  Dan Collins / Photos Jahl Marshall

“Golf’s quite infectious,” Scott Pickett smiles, as the constant, gentle thwack of golf clubs hitting golf balls rings out behind him. “One person gets into it, they tell their mates and the next thing they’re dragging them out. It’s an addictive sport.”

It’s a cheerful day and we’re standing in one of the 19 covered bays at Golf 360, the only golf driving range in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. As we chat, a steady stream of golfers trickle in and out. 

In the far bay, a middle-aged chap who looks like he knows what he’s doing effortlessly whacks his golf balls down the range, while beside us a retiree practises her swing. Next to her, two teens share a bucket of balls and a laugh, and a couple of bays away, a 20-something works on her swing under the watchful instruction of one of the facility's PGA pro coaches, who happens to be a former New Zealand champion. 

The diverse group of players here this morning challenges preconceptions and proves how much golf has changed in recent years. No longer the preserve of stuffy, wealthy older gents, the sport has worked hard to attract new players and become welcoming to all who want to give it a shot. 

This is something Scott is passionate about. Since taking sole ownership of Golf 360 four years ago, he’s worked tirelessly to make the facility as welcoming and friendly as possible to new players, while providing the depth of knowledge and expertise that top players demand and is invaluable help to anyone looking to improve their game.

“One of our philosophies is, ‘Golf is hard, so let's try and make the game a little bit easier’,” he says. 

That philosophy drives, excuse the pun, every aspect of Golf 360. Every bay in the driving range sports the latest in fancy golf technology that you can use to analyse your game; you can get private lessons to identify, zone in and work out your problem areas; you can play a challenging round of mini golf on their Mount Maunganui-themed course; and you can even get fitted for your own set of personally tailored golf clubs, the ultimate experience for golfers wanting to reach the next level. 

It’s one that’s also surprisingly affordable. Scott tells me that a set of fitted clubs doesn’t cost more than a set of off-the-rack clubs. Best of all, there’s no charge for the fitting experience, during which your swing is analysed and you’re run through various combinations of club heads to find the absolute best one for your playing style. During the process you’ll see, in real time, how the different club heads impact your shot and the improvements the various brands and shapes are making.

“Everyone’s got a unique swing DNA – the way they swing – so we’re trying to match the clubs to that as best we can. It’s great that it doesn’t cost them any more,” Scott says. “We’d much rather sell them a set of clubs that are custom-fitted, designed for them, than something that’s off the rack.”

As experienced fitters, Scott and his team have a good idea about what might work for individual golfers, calling it an educated trial-and-error process that works off the data their process provides. 

“But also with their goals in mind as well. What are they trying to achieve?” Scott adds. “Sometimes we might be convinced that a particular model and brand is going to work out great, but it doesn’t always work out. We let the clubs do the talking. We’ll interpret the data, the technology and the clubs rather than steering them too much in a certain direction or to preconceived ideas.”

Because as anyone who’s ever played a round will tell you, all the data in the world can’t compensate for that most intangible quality of all: Feel. “Exactly right,” Scott exclaims. “When I’m fitting someone I can’t feel what’s going on, but we’ll ask the customer throughout the process, ‘What does that feel like?’ That’s important. If they say the club feels heavy or clunky, we take that advice on board.”

Scott says that one of the best parts of the job is calling people to tell them their custom-fitted clubs
have arrived. “It’s exciting,” Scott smiles. “You’re keen to see what they’re going to do for your game and usually they will make a difference.”

The club fitting and some of the lessons take place inside, not out on the range. To the right of the entrance when you walk into Golf 360, there’s a giant, wall-sized screen with an artificial hitting mat in front and a small box set up to the side on the ground. This unassuming box is Golf 360’s secret weapon. 

It’s called the Foresight GCQuad, and it’s a quadrascopic high-speed camera system that precisely measures every aspect of how your club hits the ball to create an accurate picture of your shot, capturing everything from launch angle, ball speed, spin, impact strength, angle of club… 

Basically, every aspect of how you hit the ball and where the ball goes after you’ve hit it.

“Golf’s a highly technical sport, and using this technology helps so that neither the player nor the coach is guessing as to what’s going wrong,” Scott explains. “We can see what the club’s doing and that has an effect on what the ball does. Because of that, we can make changes and then see what that does to the club information and how that affects ball flight. We can get very quick changes and results because of it. We can see results very quickly.”

But against the backdrop of numbers and data, you don’t want to forget that golf is a game. And games are supposed to be fun. Which is something else the GCQuad caters for.

“It makes it entertaining,” Scott says of his recent decision to fit out every bay in the driving range
with their own GCQuad unit. “You can actually play real-world courses on it.”

This means that you can hit your ball down Golf 360’s 240m long driving range and the full-colour touchscreen in your bay shows you how you fared on a virtual course. You can even directly compete in a virtual round of golf against your mate in another bay, and then compare your play data at the end. It’s a true game-changer.

“There’s a great little pitch and putt course which is ideal for a beginner golfer who is a little daunted about going out on the golf course but wants to work on their technique,” Scott enthuses. “They can come along and hit every club in their bag playing that little course. It’s very realistic, they have their shot, it tracks it and you can see the result on the screen."

Whether you want to pop in for a quick hit with a 45-ball bucket, spend some serious time working on your technique with the Mega Bucket of 175 balls, or anything in between, Golf 360 has you covered – even in bad weather, as the bays are fully covered, or at night, as the range is floodlit, with Scott saying late-night Thursdays are especially popular. 

And if golf’s something you’ve wanted to try but aren’t sure whether it’s for you, club hireage is just $5. As Scott says, golf has never been more accessible, and they love seeing new faces come through the door.

“We’re always seeing people we haven’t seen before. It’s exciting,” Scott says. “A lot of people haven’t been exposed to golf, and for many this will be their only taste. For us, it’s about people having a go.”

New players of all ages, genders and ethnicities started showing up during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when golf was one of the few sports you could play under Level 3 restrictions, with Scott saying ladies’ golf has seen one of the biggest upswings.

“Larissa Blackbourn, one of our PGA pro coaches, is heavily involved in our ladies’ coaching and she’s not had a problem at all filling up her ladies’ clinics,” Scott says. “There’s so much interest there from ladies in the game.”

He says the improvements he’s made to Golf 360 since taking over have completely re-energised the place.

“It’s more golfer-friendly,” he smiles, as the diverse batch of golfers around us thwack their balls down the fairway. “There’s a good buzz around.” 

golf360.co.nz